The Age of Disbelief
by Blackberry Ink
Summary: With the war against Voldemort going on, hospital availability is low. So what happens when Ginny finds a wounded man and brings him into her home to let him recover? And what happens when that man turns out to be a Malfoy? - COMPLETE


Disclaimer: I just like to mess up the brilliant work of J.K. Rowling by doing crazy things like putting Draco and Ginny together. Don't sue.  
  
Summary: With the war against Voldemort going on, hospital availability is low. So what happened when Ginny finds a wounded man and brings him into her home to let him recover? And what happens when that man turns out to be a Malfoy?  
  
A/N: My response to the Bright Lights Challenge on Portkey. Some D/G fluff to balance out all the angst I've been reading lately.  
  
~~~~~  
  
~ The Age of Disbelief  
  
~ By Blackberry Ink  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 14, 6:21 P.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
She was sorry she'd ever signed on for this job.  
  
Ginny Weasley was an Auror - a pretty good one, at that. But times were hard now, and people of her profession were hard to come by. And with Voldemort gaining more power every day and Muggles next to unaware of it, the closest thing to a Muggle parallel with Aurors - police - were getting hard to come by as well. Dumbledore had told Ginny that he felt the Muggles had to be as safe as they could make them, and with no police, Dumbledore had decided he could spare some Aurors for Muggle protection.  
  
And of course, growing up to be interested in Muggles, Ginny has signed on for the first position available. She was 20, but she'd never met a real Muggle. She'd thought this would be an experience.  
  
Well, it was an experience. Not necessarily one that she would have liked to have had.  
  
Dumbledore had made the several Muggle Protection Aurors swear not to use magic in case of an emergency. They didn't want to risk exposing the Wizarding World. But then, Ginny found herself asking, what was the point of being here at all? They were all just as good as police without magic.  
  
"No, Dumbledore had said. "You aren't the same. You know of the horrors Voldemort is capable of. That, in itself, is an advantage - magic powers or no."  
  
And Ginny has stayed silent, because she wasn't the person to argue with someone as formidable as Dumbledore.  
  
Ginny was alone in the back of a taxi. The driver was going so slow and she was half contemplating just Apparating.  
  
There had been a call to her flat not to long ago about a Muggle man being hurt. He was now lying unconscious in an alley. There was the sign of a struggle. He was bleeding slightly, but nowhere serious. The hospital had been informed, but they were out of ambulances, doctors, and beds, and had no way to treat him. So Ginny had been called.  
  
"Turn here, please," Ginny said as politely as she could to the taxi driver. He did as he was told.  
  
Minutes later, they were on the street of the alley where Ginny was supposed to be. Ginny got out of the cab, paid the driver, and walked off down the street.  
  
"Alley in between a residential building a football supply store," she had been told. She looked around for the aforementioned store, found it, and rushed across the street to where it was located. Right next to it, exactly where it was supposed to be, was a black alley.  
  
Ginny stepped in. The ground and walls of the two buildings on either side were made of red brick that was partially covered in moss and ivy. The sky above was becoming grayer by the second - surely it would rain soon. There was very little light and everything seemed to be obscured by shadow. Ginny pulled out of her pocket a flashlight (this didn't seem an emergency enough to use her wand) and looked around.  
  
In a corner, she spotted something that looked like a person, but it was covered in what looked like a black Wizard's robe. Although it might not have necessarily been the best course of action, Ginny immediately lifted up the cloak.  
  
Ginny didn't gasp at what she saw, but in her Hogwarts days she would have. Underneath the cloak was a man. His face was obscured by slightly- less-than-chin-length pale blonde hair that has splotches of blood on it. His clothes were Muggle, as she had expected, and were torn in more places than one. He had a deep gash that was bleeding profusely and ran from his lower thigh to mid-shin on the side of his left leg. His own blood was forming a puddle around his lower body and from the waist down he was almost soaked in it. His hands were bound and tied to his sides. The rope was cutting into his skin as well, although not as much blood was coming from those cuts as the one on his leg.  
  
Gently, Ginny lifted some of the blonde hair from out of his face. She admired how fine and soft it was. Ginny looked to the man's face.  
  
His skin was the palest skin she had ever seen, even comparing it to people who had lost more blood than this man. Although he seemed to have many more wrinkles than her, she judged that they were probably premature. He looked to be about her age. His eyes were shut gently and his features were shaped and placed in a way that a Greek sculptor would depict his statues. Despite herself, Ginny was momentarily entranced.  
  
She came to herself quickly and looked around. Trash bins were dented and scattered all about the alley, as were their previous contents. She supposed that was what was the "sign of struggle." And that deep gash was the "slight cut, nothing serious." Ginny scowled and turned back to the man.  
  
She contemplated shaking him to see if he was awake, but went against it. He could have a concussion or some other injury she couldn't see and doing that might damage him further. Instead, she checked to make sure no one was looking and used her wand to untie his bindings. His facial expression visibly relaxed slightly. Ginny inspected the cuts on his wrists and noted that they weren't too serious - just as she'd thought. She muttered a healing spell that she'd learned in N.E.W.T. Magical Healing in seventh year.  
  
Ginny put her pointer and middle fingers to his wrists to check for a pulse. It was there, and wasn't at all irregular. She was relieved, but not much.  
  
After a few more moments of inspecting the Muggle, Ginny decided there wasn't much else she could do. She made a makeshift bandage out of the cloak that had been covering him and wrapped it around his leg to prevent as much blood as she could from spilling. Then she said another spell to connect her voice to the ministry and vice-versa.  
  
"Hello?" Ginny said. "This is Muggle Protection Auror Ginny Weasley. I've got a pretty seriously injured Muggle here with me. He needs treatment that I don't think I can give him. Is anyone there who can help?"  
  
"Weasley?" a crackled voice that seemed to come from her wand tip said.  
  
"That's me," Ginny said. "As I said, I need-"  
  
"I heard what you said," the woman at the other end said. "It's that man I phoned you about, yes?"  
  
"Yes," Ginny agreed.  
  
"Will he live?" the woman asked.  
  
"Yes," Ginny said. "But the injuries may be lasting unless he gets some attention."  
  
"If he'll live, then it's not serious enough. We can't send anyone - can't spare anyone here. I suggest trying the Muggle Hospital."  
  
"But, he could really-"  
  
Ginny stopped. The connection had been cut. She scowled and turned back to the man.  
  
The injury seemed strictly Muggle. Perhaps a Muggle Hospital would be all that he needed. They'd said they had no more ambulances, but she could Apparate there and find a way to get him in. They couldn't have as much patients as the Wizarding hospitals.  
  
But the cloak. He had been covered with a cloak. That meant that a Wizard or Witch had been here. Perhaps it was them that had attacked this man. But perhaps there was more to it than that.  
  
Cautiously, Ginny reached into the coat pocket of the man. It was empty except for a few banknotes and some tissues. No identification. She tried the other. It seemed empty at first, but then she felt something hard. She felt around further and almost gasped.  
  
But Aurors were never surprised. So Ginny wasn't at all surprised when she pulled a wand out of his pocket.  
  
It began to rain.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 15, 7:03 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
Ginny woke earlier than she had expected. She was not refreshed. She felt like she hadn't slept a wink.  
  
She had been up all night checking on the man, worrying about him, wondering about him.  
  
He was still asleep in her bed. She had levitated him there and opted to sleep on the pullout couch in the next room over. She wanted him to be comfortable in case he woke up. But he hadn't stirred.  
  
And who was he, exactly, this man that she'd brought it? He was supposed to be Muggle. She had been told that he was Muggle. But he had been carrying a bloody wand, for Merlin's sake. Muggles didn't going around carrying wands.  
  
She had ruled out the fact that he was a Muggle attacked by a Witch or Wizard. It didn't make sense. Why would a magic person attack a Muggle then leave their wand in the Muggle's pocket? The wand could be identified and-  
  
Identified.  
  
Oh, how could she have been so stupid?  
  
Ginny ran into her room. She opened the drawer of her bedside table and pulled out the wand. She checked the man's pulse again. It was normal. She left the room, looking back quickly as she shut the door.  
  
Ginny ran into her workroom. She got some Powder from the mantle and threw it into the fireplace, saying her department as she did so.  
  
"Sarah?" she called. "Sarah, you there?"  
  
A chair rolled over to the fireplace. "Right here, Gin. What do you need?"  
  
"I need an identification test on this wand. Give me all the information you can in print and give it to me," Ginny said as she handed the wand through the fire to Sarah.  
  
"Be right back," Sarah said, getting up and walking away.  
  
Ginny tapped her foot as she waited. A few minutes later, Sarah returned holding a sheet of parchment in her hand written on in purple ink.  
  
"This is what is says in the database on the wand," Sarah said, handing it through.  
  
"Thanks," Ginny said, grabbing it and reading almost hungrily. She gaped as she read the first line, and her eyes grew wider as she scanned further down the page.  
  
"What is it?" Sarah asked.  
  
Ginny took her eyes away from the page. "Draco Malfoy," she said, almost not believing her own words. "This wand belongs to Draco Malfoy."  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 15, 8:56 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
Ginny sat on the edge of her bed. He was still lying on it. And he still hadn't budged.  
  
She supposed that she should have known it was Draco Malfoy. The clothes he was wearing were obviously expensive. And no one else in the Wizarding World but the Malfoys had that pale blonde hair and practically pure white skin.  
  
But where had he gotten his good looks? He certainly hadn't looked like that in Hogwarts days. She had always remembered him as that little scrawny Slytherin with a hollow face and a black heart who was forever pissing off Ron and Harry. Mostly Ron. Harry had always put himself above Malfoy while Ron was easily aggravated and wanted to prove how much better than him he really was. There reactions towards Malfoy had really told a lot about their personalities, Ginny had always thought.  
  
And what would her family say if they knew that a Malfoy had slept in her bed? Not that they had done anything, but -  
  
Ginny decided to stop that train of thought, because it was giving her mental pictures that she wasn't sure she wanted to have.  
  
Ginny looked back to Malfoy. He looked oddly, well, oddly not evil. Ginny had always pictured him to grow up and join the death eaters and be scum just like his father. Actually, he probably was still scum. Just really nice looking scum.  
  
Suddenly, an idea began to form in Ginny's mind. What if he was a death eater? Could this all be a trap to kill her? She ran a hand through her hair and inched a bit closer to him. She could just check to see if he had a death eater's tattoo. Just a quick check. He wouldn't even notice. Then if he was a death eater, she could throw him out of the house. If not, it was just an honest mistake.  
  
She moved closer. Then closer. Now she was sitting right next to him. She put out her arm to push up his sleeve and wondered why it was trembling slightly. Aurors didn't get nervous. There was nothing to be nervous about, he was unconscious, for Merlin's sake-  
  
"I'm awake, you know," he said.  
  
Ginny jerked her hand back and stood up quickly. His eyes weren't opened, but he was smirking. Ginny scowled.  
  
He opened his eyes. "What were you trying to do, molest me?"  
  
Ginny's scowl deepened. "Nothing of the sort," she said. I just wanted to see if-" She stopped.  
  
Draco gave her a knowing look. "You wanted to see if I was a death eater, didn't you," he said. It was not a question.  
  
Ginny, despite all of her training, was not all that good at keeping secrets. She swallowed.  
  
"Yes," she muttered.  
  
Draco tried to sit up, couldn't, then pretended that he hadn't tried at all. Ginny took note of this. He did, however, have the strength to lift up his sleeve.  
  
There was no mark on it.  
  
"And the other," Ginny said, skeptically.  
  
He lifted that sleeve. No mark on that either. Ginny nodded, satisfied.  
  
"Being Malfoy doesn't automatically mean servant of Voldemort," Draco said. Ginny was impressed that he had said the name. She had only recently begun saying it. "It does seem to automatically lead to that assumption, though."  
  
Ginny nodded and wondered how he could be making her feel so inferior when he was the one lying in bed unable to get up.  
  
"Should I assume that it was you who cleaned me up?" Draco asked.  
  
Ginny nodded, then blurted, "Do you even know who I am?"  
  
"Of course," Draco said nonchalantly. "The youngest Weasley. Virginia, yes?"  
  
"Ginny," she said stubbornly.  
  
"Naturally," Draco said. She could see the smirk in the corner of his mouth again. "Ginny."  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 15, 9:34 A.M, Muggle London  
  
-  
  
Ginny was appalled with herself.  
  
Why did she have to be an idiot and bring him into her house? Why couldn't she just have been satisfied with the Muggle Hospital?  
  
Ginny hadn't been able to leave the room for the past half hour or so that he'd been awake. She'd been afraid he'd hurt himself or steal something. So she'd resorted to sitting in a hard-backed chair on the opposite side of the room from the bed, glaring at him from time to time like an eleven-year-old schoolgirl while he smirked and twiddled his thumbs.  
  
A few minutes later, Ginny said, "I should change your bandage."  
  
Without waiting for a response, she went into her bathroom, grabbed some cloth and gauze, and came back in.  
  
Ginny walked up to the bed and sat down on it so that she had clear access to his leg. She lifted up the pant leg slowly. She reached for the bandage and winced as she heard a sharp intake of breath when she began taking it off.  
  
"Did that hurt?" Ginny asked.  
  
"No," Draco said, not meeting her eyes.  
  
She went back to the bandage, telling herself that it didn't matter if he was in pain. The bandage had to come off.  
  
When it was off, Draco looked down at the cut.  
  
"Well, that's interesting," Draco said simply.  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks," Ginny said, washing away some of the dried blood. "It'll heal, but I think there will be a scar."  
  
"Can you just do a healing spell?" Draco asked. "I'd rather not have that scar, if it's all the same to you."  
  
Ginny shook her head. "I don't want to risk it. I forget most of what I learned in Healing and I don't want to ruin you leg. The hospital doesn't have the room to take anyone else. And, no offense, but I don't think you're the first patient they'd admit when there's a lot of other people around who, er-"  
  
"-Aren't potential death eaters?" Draco finished.  
  
"Yeah," Ginny said.  
  
They were both silent while Ginny finished cleaning the wound. Ginny took the bloodied bandage and Banished it to the trash.  
  
"Good news," Ginny said, breaking the silence as she began putting on the new bandage. "Is that it's stopped bleeding."  
  
"Then what's the point of a bandage?" Draco asked.  
  
"It's the gauze that the bandage is keeping on it. It'll help it heal faster," Ginny said, strictly business.  
  
"Ah," Draco said, nodding.  
  
A minute later, Draco's leg was bandaged and Ginny got up from the bed looking pleased with her work.  
  
"Feel any better?" Ginny inquired, telling herself that she didn't care about the answer.  
  
"Actually," Draco said. "Yes, a bit. My back hurts the most, actually. I don't know if all this lying down is good for it."  
  
"You have back pains?" Ginny asked. "Since when?"  
  
"Since yesterday," Draco said. "Or the day before. How long have I been out?"  
  
"About a day, I'd say. Maybe less," Ginny said.  
  
"Well, since a bit before that," Draco said. "And since my back is hurting like Hell at the moment, I suggest that you help me sit up unless you want to hex the life out of you."  
  
"And how will you hex me?" Ginny asked, fixedly not rushing to his aid.  
  
"With my wand," Draco said. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Which I suppose you took."  
  
Ginny smirked. Then, satisfied with that, went over to help him.  
  
She put her hands on both his shoulders and pulled him upright. Then she propped him up as much as she could with pillows and whatever else soft was around.  
  
"That better?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," he said. She noticed that he wasn't leaning back on the pillows.  
  
"What's wrong with your back, anyway?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Nothing serious," Draco said. "Just hurts a bit when I lay back."  
  
"You didn't say anything about that before," Ginny said, putting a hand on her hip.  
  
Draco tried to shrug. "I didn't notice it?"  
  
"I'm going to go with that," Ginny said. "Only because I want you healed and out of here as soon as possible."  
  
"Alright," Draco said.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 16, 10:47 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
By the next day, Draco was able to sit up by himself. Ginny felt a sort of pride at this, and wondered why. He still hadn't actually got up out of bed yet, though. She wondered about how long it would take until he was able to walk. Plus, Ginny was getting a lot more comfortable leaving him alone in her room.  
  
"I'm going to go to the store to get some food," Ginny said, grabbing up her purse and putting both her and Draco's wand into her coat pocket. "I shouldn't be too long. No more than an hour."  
  
Draco looked up. "Sorry, did you say something?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You heard what I said. Stop being difficult."  
  
Draco smirked, and Ginny walked to the door.  
  
"If you need anything, you can use the phone by the bed. I'll leave it to you to figure out how to use it. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone," Ginny said.  
  
As she closed the door behind her, she waited for a moment, half expecting and perhaps wanting Draco to respond. He didn't. Ginny shook her head at herself, and walked away and out of the flat.  
  
The rain from the other day had passed and the sky was as bright as ever. The sidewalk was all but empty since it was a Monday. Most of the Muggles were at work.  
  
She reached her destination a few minutes later. The food store was only a block away from her flat. A bell rung as she walked in.  
  
Ginny picked up some food to make sandwiches for lunch, drinks, and some other of her favorite snacks. She picked up a bit more than usual, for Draco. It was odd food shopping for two people for some reason. Ginny hadn't had a boyfriend since Hogwarts because her life had been so hectic, and her family rarely came to her apartment - their meetings were almost always at the Burrow. Still, she found that getting extra food was comforting, in a way. It felt strange that something Draco-related was comforting.  
  
After putting some spaghetti for dinner into her basket, Ginny went to the counter to make her purchases. She handed the girl behind the counter some Muggle money (which was slightly more than normal) and left the store.  
  
Going back, Ginny walked slower - almost a stroll - looking at all the shop windows. She was proud of herself for being comfortable with the fact that a Malfoy was in her home alone. She walked a bit slower to prove that point to herself.  
  
As Ginny was walking, she accidentally felt a loaf of bread fall out of her basket. She stooped down to pick it up, but someone was already there.  
  
"Here," a man said, helping her up and handing her the bread.  
  
"Thanks," Ginny said, smiling. She made to keep walking.  
  
"Hey," he said. "I've seen you somewhere, haven't I?"  
  
Ginny pursed her lips. "I don't think so, I-"  
  
"Oh," he said, coming to a conclusion. "You go to the book store across the street, yes? Just there?" He pointed to a bookshop.  
  
"Yes," Ginny said slowly. "I've been there a couple of times."  
  
"Would you like to go there now?" he asked. "We could have a cup of coffee."  
  
Ginny looked up at him. She tried to blank out the store that was behind him which displayed provocative clothing in the window. He had messy brown hair, slightly tanned skin, hazel eyes, and was probably just as tall as Ron. She opened her mouth to said yes to him - it had been a while since she'd been out.  
  
"No thanks," she said. "I've got to get home, actually. My, erm, boyfriend is there."  
  
"Oh," he said, actually looking disappointed. "Well, perhaps I'll see you around, then."  
  
"Yes," Ginny said. "G'bye."  
  
She walked quickly the rest of the way home, furious with herself. He seemed nice and was definitely handsome enough. Why did she just turn down a perfectly good date?  
  
Because of Draco, she thought. Because Draco's home alone, that is. Didn't want to leave him there for to long.  
  
She opened to the door to her bedroom to find Draco still sitting on the bed awake.  
  
"I didn't steal anything, don't worry," he said.  
  
"I didn't say you did," Ginny replied, staring at him.  
  
"What are you looking at?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing," Ginny said.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 16, 6:31 P.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
"Are all Weasley women cooks or something?" Draco asked as he took another bite of his spaghetti. He and Ginny were eating dinner together in her room. Draco had still not gotten up from bed yet, but he was growing rapidly stronger.  
  
Ginny wasn't quite positive if what she had heard had been a complement. She shrugged. "My mum taught me how to cook. So I guess it's passed down through the generations."  
  
Draco ate his food with much enthusiasm, and Ginny decided to think that what Draco had said was the closest thing to a complement that she would ever get from a Malfoy.  
  
"What did you do while I was gone?" Ginny asked conversationally as she took a sip of her drink.  
  
"Nothing really," Draco said. "I was in the mood to get drunk, but I then I realized that I didn't know where your liquor cabinet was. So I sat and counted the cracks on the ceiling."  
  
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "And how many are there?"  
  
"147," he replied promptly. "You should really Spackle it or something, it's not at all becoming."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are you done with your dinner?"  
  
"Quite," he said, handing her the plate.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 17, 8:59 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
Ginny woke up, stretched, and threw on some Muggle jeans and a t- shirt. She ran a brush through her mid-back length deep red hair as she walked into her room (Draco was still sleeping there leaving Ginny to sleep on the couch.).  
  
Draco looked up as she came in. His hair was mussed and the bed shirt (an old shirt of Ron's - she hadn't told him that.) he was wearing was hanging off to the side of his shoulder. His gray eyes looked tired, and for the first time since she'd found him a few days ago she noticed just how worn he really looked. Despite herself, that caring part of her mother that had rubbed off on Ginny wanted to run over to Draco and hug him.  
  
But the majority of her was thinking: Hug? Draco Malfoy?  
  
And so she stuck with what her head was telling her.  
  
"Feeling any better today?" Ginny asked, coming over so that she stood at the edge of the bed.  
  
Draco yawned. "Considering I just woke up, I'm feeling a lot better than I was."  
  
"Good," Ginny said. Her hair unknotted, she put the brush down on her nightstand. "Do you want any breakfast?"  
  
"No," Draco said. "I'm not really hungry."  
  
"Good," Ginny said. "I'm not really in the mood to make you anything."  
  
There was a silence for a moment.  
  
"Do you have any books?" Draco asked.  
  
"Books?" Ginny repeated. "Of course I do."  
  
"I mean proper Wizarding books. Novels. And none of that Muggle Shakespeare trash," Draco said.  
  
"I've got a few," Ginny said. She hadn't had much time for pleasure reading since she'd come to Muggle London a year ago, but she was sure she had some books that Hermione had lent her and she'd never given back. "Why?"  
  
"I want you to read to me."  
  
Ginny paused; shocked that Draco had asked something like that. She stared at him for a moment.  
  
"I'll go look for something," Ginny said, and went into the living room.  
  
She only had one row of a few books in her house. Ginny looked at them. She'd heard of the titles, but was sorry to say that she hadn't read any of them. She picked out a green one that caught her eye and brought it back into her room.  
  
"What book is it?" Draco asked.  
  
Ginny looked at the cover. "Tale of Two Wizards," Ginny said. "Looks promising."  
  
Draco shrugged and waved his hand at her.  
  
"Well?" he said.  
  
Ginny sat down at the foot of the bed and cleared her throat.  
  
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. . ."  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 17, 11:41 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
Ginny opened her eyes. The sofa was feeling softer than it had been in the past couple days. She looked around her and realized that she was lying on her own bed, under the covers and completely warm. That was something she hadn't felt in a long time.  
  
Then she felt a hand across her stomach and nearly yelped.  
  
She was lying next to Draco Malfoy. Uncomfortably close to Draco Malfoy. Well, maybe uncomfortable wasn't quite the word to use. In fact, Ginny hadn't felt more comfortable than she did now in years. And perhaps that was what made her position uncomfortable.  
  
Ginny glanced over at Draco, who looked to be fast asleep. But he had tricked her before into thinking he wasn't awake. She didn't want to be fooled again.  
  
"Draco," she whispered. "You awake?"  
  
He grunted. Ginny held back a giggle, something very unbecoming to an Auror.  
  
Slowly, Ginny moved his arm from her stomach. The instant it was gone she missed it's warmth. Breathing rather harder than she would have liked, she lifted herself out of the covers and got out of the bed.  
  
Ginny looked down at Draco's (probably) sleeping form and couldn't help but grin. She fixed the blankets around him to keep him warm and went to go fix herself something to eat.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 17, 4:04 P.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
"Draco," she said, shaking him lightly. "Draco, get up."  
  
"Wha . . ."  
  
"You've been sleeping all day," Ginny said. "And I've decided that you seem well enough to try to walk."  
  
"Walk?" Draco muttered.  
  
Ginny had to admit that he did look rather cute at the moment. And she had to admit that it was growing less and less strange to think of Draco as anything remotely near "cute." But that was neither here nor there. At the moment.  
  
"Yes," Ginny said. "You've been lying around for three days. You've been getting rapidly better. You're no longer bleeding. You barely complain of back pains. Everything seems to be in order. You need to try to walk. Sit up."  
  
Draco looked a bit skeptic, but sat up as he was told. He looked at her.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Well," Ginny said. "Can you try to stand?"  
  
Draco still looked skeptic. "I doubt this is going to happen-"  
  
"Here," Ginny said, coming closer and offering her shoulder. "You can lean on me."  
  
They stared at one another for a moment, then Draco moved his sitting position to the edge of the bed. "I don't think you can hold my weight."  
  
Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. "Just stand up, Draco," she said.  
  
Draco gingerly began to transfer his weight to his feet. He seemed like he was trying his hardest not to touch her or use her as help. She saw him wince a bit.  
  
"Does it hurt?" she asked.  
  
"No," he said. As if to prove it, he stood full up. He almost fell, but quickly put a hand on her shoulder to balance himself. She smirked, but she didn't think he saw it.  
  
After he had been standing a minute Ginny said, "Do you think you can take a step?"  
  
"I can," Draco said. His face was set. Ginny almost wanted to laugh at how determined he was to do a task as simple as walking. Then again, it probably wasn't so simple for him.  
  
His weight seemed to be mostly on her, and Ginny nearly stumbled at first but managed to keep upright. She hoped Draco wouldn't notice her falter, but he did.  
  
"You alright there, Weasley?" he asked, smirking. She wondered how he, the one who could practically not walk, was making her feel beneath him again.  
  
"I'm just fine," she said stubbornly.  
  
And so they walked back and forth across the room. First Draco would lean on Ginny as much as he could so that she would struggle, then Ginny would all but take her support away and leave him stumbling and unsure.  
  
After ten minutes of going back and forth, Draco finally leaned completely on Ginny. Ginny, unprepared, went toppling to the ground. Draco, unprepared for the fall as well, landed on top of her.  
  
"Draco, get off me," Ginny said, her voice firm.  
  
Draco smirked. "I would," he said. "If I could."  
  
Ginny groaned. "What do you mean? Of course you can move. Just roll over."  
  
"I'm not rolling onto hard floor with my back," he said simply. It was only the second time he'd mentioned it, but Ginny hadn't forgotten about it.  
  
"Draco, you can't lie here like this. You're on top of me."  
  
"Most girls would like to be in this position," Draco said sensibly.  
  
"Well I certainly don't," Ginny said. "Now get off me or I'll push you off, injuries or no."  
  
"Ginny-"  
  
"Draco, I swear-"  
  
"I'm trying to-"  
  
"Oh for Merlin's sake," Ginny said. She pushed him off of her so that they were lying on the floor next to each other.  
  
Draco winced. "Ow."  
  
"Well, serves you right," Ginny said, getting up and folding her arms. She saw that Draco didn't look to be getting up, and, a bit reluctantly, extended a hand to him. He glanced at it, then took it and stood up. Once he stood, he promptly fell forward right onto the bed, his face pressed against the covers.  
  
"Ow," he said again.  
  
Ginny had to grin.  
  
"I've just made another decision," she said as Draco turned himself over so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
"And what would that be?" he asked.  
  
"You smell," Ginny said frankly.  
  
Draco frowned. "Well, at least you didn't beat around the bush."  
  
Ignoring him, Ginny continued. "You haven't bathed in days. Sure, I cleaned your cuts, but you need an actual bath. I haven't smelled someone that smells as bad as you since Bill brought his two year old over here."  
  
"Thanks," Draco said sarcastically.  
  
"Well that's settled. I'll go fill a bath for you."  
  
Before Draco could protest (if he had wanted to protest), she had left the room and went into her bathroom. She started the water running, putting her hand in it to see if it was too hot of too cold for him. She contemplated making it ice cold, but decided against it. She came back into her room.  
  
"Just another ten minutes or so," Ginny said. "and it'll be full."  
  
"Right," Draco said.  
  
"It's almost five o'clock," Ginny said. "I guess I'll go and cook some dinner while you're waiting. Feel free to go right in once it's full."  
  
"Right," he said again.  
  
They paused for a moment. Ginny could feel his eyes on hers as she looked around her room for something interesting to look at instead of him.  
  
Ginny shook her head as if to snap herself out of something. "What am I doing standing here?"  
  
"I don't know," Draco said, still looking at her.  
  
Ginny looked up at him. "That was a rhetorical question," she said. Then she left the room.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Ginny was preparing dinner when she heard a shout from down the hallway.  
  
"Ginny!" It was Draco.  
  
Putting down the bread she was holding, she walked briskly into the bathroom, where his voice had been coming from. She knocked on the door and walked in without waiting for an answer. Looking back, Ginny had always though that decision could have led to a tricky situation. Luckily Draco was still clothed when she walked in.  
  
"You okay?" Ginny asked.  
  
Draco looked up at her. "I can't get my shirt off," he admitted.  
  
Ginny sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes. "What do you mean, you can't get it off?"  
  
"That's what I mean," he said. "I can't get my shirt off."  
  
Sighing again, Ginny stepped forward so that she was standing right in front of him.  
  
"Help?" he asked, the side of his mouth twitching into what was almost a grin. Ginny almost stopped and stared, but instead busied herself with his shirt (which was another of Ron's old ones.).  
  
"Geez, Draco, why is this thing so damned hard to get off?" Ginny said.  
  
Draco shrugged. That almost-grin was still on his face and Ginny was trying desperately hard not to look at it.  
  
After about a minute of struggling, Ginny had almost managed to take the thing off of him. She went around so that she was standing at his back, gave one final tug, and pulled the shirt off. She gasped.  
  
"Draco, your back-"  
  
He turned as quickly as he could so that she couldn't view it. Ginny caught his arm and turned him around again. Draco's leg wasn't permitting him to keep turning, so he stayed where he was.  
  
"Dear God," Ginny murmured as she looked at it. Draco's back was covered in bright red and pink slashes. The skin was broken in more place then one and some of the cuts were scabbed over. His entire back was covered in these lashes that looked almost like-  
  
"Draco," she said softly, not turning him to look at her. "Did someone whip you?"  
  
She could tell Draco had swallowed. Ginny put a reassuring hand on his arm before she'd realized she'd done it. Draco looked at it, and let her hand stay there.  
  
"Yes," he said. His voice was hard and cold and made Ginny's heart go out to him.  
  
"It hurts, doesn't it," Ginny said, looking at his back and swallowing as well.  
  
"Yes," he said in the same cold voice.  
  
"Is there anything I can-"  
  
"No," he said. "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
Ginny nodded silently. He turned slowly to face her. Ginny looked up at him and let her hand drop from his arm. Looking up at him, she swallowed again. Her hand, without receiving and instructions from her brain, reached up and moved a piece of Draco's hair out of his face. He was looking at her strangely, almost as if he had never seen her before.  
  
Ginny took a step back. "You should - you should get in the bath," she said.  
  
His smirk was back. "Like this? With pants still on?"  
  
Ginny just noticed that Draco Malfoy was standing before her, bare- chested, and about to take his pants off.  
  
She turned towards the door quickly. Just as her hand was on the handle-  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
Ginny turned, her hands covering her eyes. "To cook dinner," she said, even though dinner was already done.  
  
"Then who will wash my back?" he asked, and she could tell by his tone that he was still smirking. "And you can look, by the way. I'm not naked, Weasley."  
  
Ginny cautiously removed her hands to see Draco sitting in the tub. Thankfully, he'd kept his boxers on.  
  
"Men are helpless," Ginny said, exasperated again. But she walked over to a dry spot at the edge of the tub and sat down.  
  
"That's what I thought," Draco said. It seemed that they had come to an unspoken agreement not to talk about his back anymore.  
  
"Lean forward," Ginny said, soap in hand. Gently, she began to wash his back.  
  
"I see you've got an oil lamp in here," Draco said. "I didn't know you could be so erotic, Ginny."  
  
She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see it. "It reminds me of Hogwarts, somehow."  
  
"What if your Muggle men see it?" he asked innocently.  
  
"I don't have any Muggle men," she said, a bit irritated.  
  
"Ah," he said, and again she could tell he was smirking. "Pure Ginny Weasley. I suppose that's why I found those unspeakable undergarments beneath the bed, right?"  
  
Ginny reddened and was glad he couldn't see it. She had forgotten about those things. Not that she had worn them in a while, anyway.  
  
"Never let it be said that Weasleys don't know how to have fun," she retorted. She saw his shoulders shake slightly. She pronounced his back clean, then asked him to show her his hurt leg.  
  
"It's a lot better," she said, smiling slightly at him. "But it'll leave a scar."  
  
"Well," he said, shrugging. "Now I've got a scar I can talk about, then."  
  
Ginny looked at him, and saw that almost smile again. "Yeah," she said. "I guess you do."  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 18, 10:22 P.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
"Get up," Ginny said, walking into her room the next morning.  
  
Draco was easier to get up this morning. He stretched as he woke. Ginny was surprised to turn and find him standing at the side of the bed.  
  
"Feeling better?" she asked.  
  
"Much," he said. He walked to the door and back with only a slight limp.  
  
She smiled. "Good," she said. "Great, actually. That means you can be out of my hair."  
  
He pouted. "You mean you don't like me here?"  
  
"You're a Malfoy," she said. "So it's a given that I, being a Weasley, will not like having you here."  
  
"Of course," he said. For some reason, he smirked again.  
  
"Must you always smirk?" she asked.  
  
"I'm a Malfoy," he said. "So it's a given that I will have a dead sexy smirk. So why not use it?"  
  
"You're hopeless," she said.  
  
"I try."  
  
She sighed. "I'll go make you some breakfast for you to eat before you leave."  
  
Draco almost did a double take. "Leave? Today? After breakfast?"  
  
"Stop being an idiot," Ginny said. "You can walk fine. You're pretty much healed. I'm sure you don't want to be here as much as I don't want to have you here. I'm sure you can't wait to leave."  
  
"Of course," he said. "You run along and make me some food. I'll go get dressed."  
  
Sighing and rolling her eyes for the millionth time since Draco had come to her flat, Ginny left her room and went into the kitchen to go fix him coffee and breakfast.  
  
~~~~~  
  
October 18, 11:03 A.M., Muggle London  
  
-  
  
"So this is it," Draco said. He was standing at the door.  
  
"You're leaving," Ginny said firmly.  
  
"For good," he said. "Going out into the world."  
  
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Which reminds me, not that's it's any of my business, but where exactly will you be going?"  
  
"You're right, it's none of your business," he said. She frowned. "But since you want to know, I've got an apartment right next to Diagon Alley."  
  
"Which is in London," Ginny said.  
  
"Aren't you astute," he said.  
  
Ginny reached behind him for the doorknob to turn it, but the majority of his body blocked it. She found herself pushed up against his chest. He looked down at her and unexpectedly she felt his hand pushing her hair back and trailing down her face and arm and resting on her waist. She inhaled deeply. She ordered herself to breathe normally and wasn't doing to well at it.  
  
Tell him to stop, she thought, almost crazily. He's being an idiot. He just wants to stay for your cooking.  
  
"Draco," was all that came out. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his face closer to hers and noticed that they were breathing in time with each other, even if the breathing wasn't even.  
  
"Yes?" he murmured. She was surprised that their lips weren't touching - he was so deliciously close.  
  
Suddenly - she wasn't sure who'd moved first - but suddenly the space between them has disappeared and Draco was everywhere. She was vaguely aware of his hands on her back and her hands in his hair and his lips on hers and everywhere he touched sending fire through her.  
  
But it was all over in an instant, it seemed. Or perhaps it had been hours. Ginny wasn't quite sure.  
  
"Draco, I-"  
  
He smirked again and leaned forward to brush his lips against her again. Then he turned and opened the door.  
  
"Draco," she said, grabbing his arm. "Wait."  
  
He turned and looked at her. "I thought you wanted me to leave," he said.  
  
"Well," she said, "you could stay for lunch."  
  
"I just had breakfast," he said.  
  
"You could stay for lunch anyway."  
  
"But that would be in a few hours. Surely you wouldn't want me to stay that long? After all this you were telling me about Weasleys hating Malfoys and never-"  
  
Ginny kissed him.  
  
"Stay, dammit," she said.  
  
He gave her one of his half-grin half-smirks and stepped back inside.  
  
"Alright," he said. "I guess I could stay for lunch."  
  
~~~~~  
  
A/N: Make me happy. Leave a review. 


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